Labor Negotiations Require Best Behavior

The NFL is engaged in labor negotiations over a new contract. It appears that at one recent meeting, one of the owners displayed some disprespect for two of the player representatives at that meeting, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. Jerry Richardson, owner of the Carolina Panthers and former NFL player, listened as Mr. Manning was discussing player safety. Mr. Richardson then asked what Mr. Manning knows about player safety. See news report.

Labor negotiations require that the participants be on their best behavior. Labor negotiations can be tense even when everyone is behaving nicely. Mr. Richardosn is apparently trying to start some conflict. He has been advocating that the owners be more aggressive with the player’s union.

I was a member of a union once. Even though I was not involved in the negotiations over a new contract, I heard about the negotiations frequently. They were tense. But, at least in my union’s case, personal attacks were avoided.

Way back when, Bart Starr was a labor representative for the then new NFL player’s union. Vince Lombardi, hardly a raging lberal, told Mr. Starr that he should show leadership in the union. Vince Lombardi always pressed his players to be leaders on and off the field.